Events

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Membership of IPM provides free access to all our online events.

Workshop and training

The City at Eye Level & Placemaking Training 2025 – London

In Person Event : London

25th - 27th June 2025

The Institute of Place Management is proud to support the upcoming City at Eye Level & Placemaking Training, taking place in London from 25–27 June 2025. Led by STIPO, this three-day in-person programme is designed for urban professionals seeking to transform public spaces through human-centred development and co-creation. As part of our commitment to global learning and professional development, IPM is collaborating alongside a strong partnership that includes Placemaking Europe, PlacemakingX, Opportunity Kensington BID, ATCM, and Place Collective UK.

International Conference

The Changing Nature of Our High Streets and Town Centres -

Webinar: Online

Wednesday 2nd July 2025 | 10:00 - 11:30

The High Streets Task Force found that the single most important factor in delivering and sustaining positive change in our towns and cities is effective partnership working. Join this joint session with the A Better Way network to hear from Ian Harvey and Jean Ball (High Streets Task Force Expert) as they discuss the key findings from the recently published High Streets Task Force Report including what’s working to revive our high streets and town centres.

Read more here and register.

Manchester Metropolitan University

Help to Grow: Management Course

Delivered by the Centre for Enterprise at Manchester Metropolitan University.

This small business leadership course includes a combination of online and face-to-face sessions, 1-to-1 mentoring and peer networking.

Delivered by small business experts across 12 weeks, the 50-hour course is designed to fit around real life, so you'll be developing your knowledge and skills while continuing to work in your business.

More details here

IPM Webinar

Town Centre Safety

Webinar: Online

Thursday 8th July 2025 | 14:00 - 15:30

Safety in our town centres across the world isn't just a priority; it's essential to their vitality, resilience, and appeal. Join the Institute of Place Management for a session focused on approaches to enhancing safety and security in urban spaces.

Whether you're involved in town planning, business improvement districts, or community safety initiatives, this event will provide you with practical knowledge and valuable networking opportunities.

Speakers include Dr Jenny Kanellopoulou, Dr Paul O'Hare, Dr Rebecca Abushena, Andrew Sharman and Kirsi Eronon.

International Town Centre webinar

Qualifications

Postgraduate Courses - Course overview

Online: Webinar

Wednesday 9th July 2025 | 12:00 - 13:00

Find out more about postgraduate study at IPM; including the Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma and full Masters course, which are all available to study part-time.

Developed in partnership by the Institute of Place Management (IPM) and Manchester Metropolitan University, a part-time postgraduate course will give you the practical skills to succeed, and develop into a confident, reflective place leader.

IPM Webinar

Making the most of your Membership

Webinar: Online

Hybrid: Tuesday 15th July 2025 | 12:00 - 13:00

Join our "Making the Most of Your Membership" webinar to unlock the full potential of your benefits! Discover exclusive resources, networking opportunities, and tips to maximize your experience. Don't miss this chance to enhance your membership and connect with fellow members.

Qualifications

Postgraduate Courses - Course Overview and a Place Branding Taster Session

Online: Webinar

Thursday 4th September 2025 | 11:00 - 12:00

Find out more about postgraduate study at IPM; including the Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma and full Masters course, which are all available to study part-time.

Come and join us for an engaging course overview and an exclusive taster session delivered by Mihalis Kavaratzis Professor of Place Marketing.

Masterclass

Masterclass - Place and Economic Development

Online: Workshop

Wednesday 10th September | 10:00 - 15:00

Join Professor Steve Millington and MSc Place Management students for an introductory masterclass exploring contemporary challenges in place development.

Delivered by the IPM teaching team, the session will set out key theories and approaches to local and regional development in a global context. The session includes discussion of economic models, the production of place and site-specific place making.

As an introduction, the masterclass can prompt further reading and exploration of development themes relevant to your personal place practice, as well as giving an insight into study on IPM’s postgraduate programmes including the MSc Place Management.

Webinar

IPM X BAFA (British Arts Festival Association)

Webinar: Online

Wednesday 24th September 2025 | 12:30 - 13:30

How do we revitalise our high streets? Join Ian Harvey from the Institute of Place Management at Manchester Metropolitan University to explore findings from the High Streets Task Force - and hear why arts and festivals should be recognised as vital ‘social infrastructure’ in the revitalisation of our towns.

IPM Webinar

Creative Practice, Civic Friction: insights from what doesn’t always go to plan

Online: Webinar

Wednesday 1st October | 12:00 - 13:30

Despite the growing emphasis on arts and creative practice in place making, there is often little space for honest discussion of what doesn’t go to plan—misaligned collaborations, disengaged communities, unanticipated resistance, or short-lived interventions. This webinar invites contributors to share insights from failure, friction, or adaptation in their use of creative engagement methods within place-based projects. We seek to explore the gap between theory and practice, and to create a space for constructive reflection.

More details soon

Qualifications

Postgraduate Courses - Place and Economic Development Taster Session

Online: Webinar

Tuesday 7th October 2025 | 11:00 - 11:45

Find out more about postgraduate study at IPM; including the Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma and full Masters course, which are all available to study part-time.

Come and join us for an engaging course overview and an exclusive taster session delivered by Steve Millington, the first ever Professor of Place Management!

IPM Webinar

Celebrate Bookshop Day

Webinar: Online

Friday 10th October | 10:30am

Ahead of National Bookshop Day which will be celebrated on Saturday, October 11th we will share previous research on the value of bookshops to the high street.. National Bookshop Day aims to highlight the important role bookshops play in communities and encourage people to visit and support them.

Working with the Booksellers Association of UK & Ireland (BA), IPM asked over 150 bookshop staff to gauge how bookshops bolster the community. Booksellers were asked how their retail operations and strategy supported the 25 priorities for successful towns, which were identified by the IPM in previous research. The priorities included diversity and innovation in the community, retail offering, appearance of the town, plus benchmarks for a town's range of services and goods, alongside the general vision and leadership expressed through partnerships and relationships with local councils.

Read more about the research here.

International Conference

The 9th Annual Conference of the International Place Branding Association

In person: Manchester

Wednesday 29th - 31st October 2025

The 2025 IPBA conference, to be held in Manchester, endeavours to shed light on the potential of place branding as a force for good amidst a rapidly evolving global landscape. The conference seeks to further the discourse on how place branding, an inherently interdisciplinary domain, can serve as a catalyst for positive change and development across diverse sectors and communities.

More details here

Qualifications

Postgraduate Courses - Final Q and A and meet the academic team

Online: Webinar

Thursday 6th November 2025 | 11:00 - 12:00

Come along and join our final Q&A session before the course begins in January!

You'll have the chance to meet the whole IPM academic teaching team and hear from students who have already enrolled. It's a great opportunity to connect with your peers and get your questions answered!

Webinar

World Urbanism Day

Webinar: Online

Wednesday 5th November 2025

To mark World Urbanism Day 2025, the Institute of Place Management is hosting a global conversation exploring one of the most urgent and interconnected challenges of our time: housing.

This international session will feature contributions from Australia, Ireland, Slovenia, and the UK, examining how different countries are tackling housing supply, affordability, design quality, and climate resilience through place-based responses. From adaptive reuse and intergenerational living, to community-led infill and planning code reform, the event will showcase practical innovations and shared learning across borders

More details here

In-person - Manchester

IPM Conference

In person: Manchester Metropolitan University

Wednesday 10th June 2026

The IPM Conference is confirmed for Wednesday 10th June 2026 - and it’s a special one.

We will be bringing together our global network of place leaders, place makers, place thinkers, and place policy shapers to celebrate 20 years of the Institute of Place Management. It’s an opportunity to reflect on two decades of pioneering place management - and to look boldly toward the future.

As we mark this milestone, the 2026 conference will convene a truly international community of practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to explore how the discipline is evolving and where it goes next.

While the main conference takes place on Wednesday 10th June, we’ll also host a dynamic programme of walking tours, masterclasses, and a research seminar on the days either side - giving you even more reason to join us in Manchester, UK.

The conference will also be a moment to reconnect and celebrate our community - bringing together IPM Alumni, current students of the postgraduate course in Place Management and Leadership, and experts from the High Streets Task Force.

Research Conference

Place Platform Symposium

In Person Event : Manchester

Tuesday 17th June 2026 | 09:30 - 16:15

The Place Platform Symposium is an esteemed academic event dedicated to exploring the multifaceted concept of "place." This symposium serves as a vibrant forum for researchers, scholars, and practitioners to present and discuss cutting-edge research and innovative ideas related to place-based studies.

Previous Events

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IPM Research Seminar

Place Branding, Communications and Marketing Research Seminar

Webinar: Online

Join Us for a Global Research Seminar: Exploring Place Branding Across the World

Discover how cities, regions, and nations craft their identities on the global stage. This seminar offers a deep dive into the strategies, stories, and symbols that shape perceptions of place—from bustling metropolises to emerging destinations.

IPM Webinar

International Women's Day

Webinar: Online

This was an event to celebrate International Women's Day. Featuring inspiring and influential speakers, we enjoyed a thought-provoking discussion, and explored strategies for empowering women in the field of place management.

IPM Webinar

Effective Place Partnerships

Webinar: Online

With partnerships increasingly recognised as key to delivering lasting impact, we brought together place leaders from Ashton-in-Makerfield, Liscard in Wirral, and Hamlet Court Road in Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend to showcase best practice and explore how to create successful partnerships that deliver real results.